Between exile and war, a shell lottery and Herzel's writings; in the midst of two world wars, the city of Tel Aviv was founded.   

What does "Tel Aviv" mean?

Tel Aviv was first founded in 1909 as "Ahuzat Baiet" (Housing Property), by a group of 60 families.  A year later, inspired by Theodor Herzel's book "Altneuland" (Old-New Land), and its utopian vision for the state of Israel, this little neighborhood was renamed "Tel Aviv" (Spring Hill).  In Hebrew, "Tel" does not simply mean "hill", but a man made hill covering the remains of an ancient settlement or a hill in an archeological excavation.  And the word "aviv" means spring.  Thereby, the name "Tel Aviv" stands for a link between old and new;  antiquity rejuvenated.  This is the concept on which the city of Tel Aviv was first founded. 

The Shell Lottery

The populace which formed the new settlement Tel Aviv, was mainly Jews who decided to leave the cramped city of Jaffa and its difficult living conditions, they decided to put down the foundations for a spacious and green living environment. The area first inhabited by the ex-inhabitants of Jaffa, is known as Little Tel Aviv, and includes the southern neighborhood of Neve Tzedek (Home of Justice) and the streets Rothschild, Allenby and Herzel.  In this area you can find some of the most impressive Bauhuas buildings in Tel Aviv.

The urban myth about the formation of the city and the distribution of the land between the 60 families, who participated in the purchase, is the story of the "Shell Lottery". To arrange a fair distribution of the land between the 60 families who bought it, the leader of the group Arieh Akiva Weiss collected 60 white shells, on which he wrote the names of the families, and 60 gray shells on which he wrote the numbers of the plots. The pairs of gray and white shells determined the distribution. The founders had quite a romantic outlook, but it is indeed very appropriate to found a city by the sea using shells off its beach.

Historical Upheavals

At the beginning of 1917, less than 10 years after the city was founded, officials of the Ottoman Empire had decided that the Jews were unwanted, regarding them as potential spies for the British.  A decree was issued, ordering the exile of the Jews of Jaffa and Tel Aviv.  The banished residents returned only 8 months later, with the arrival of the British Mandate. Since then the inhabitants stayed in the new city and many new residents joined.

The arrival port for Jews who came to live in Israel at the end of the 19th century was Jaffa.  Though many went on to other parts of Israel, almost 11,000 Jews lived in Jaffa by the beginning of WWI. In 1921 most of the Jewish community in Jaffa left for Tel Aviv after a pogrom in Jaffa in which 43 Jews were killed and 140 injured.  This contributed to the expansion of the small city which was beginning its massive developement.  At that time Tel Aviv was flourishing, evolving in finance, industry and culture, setting the ground for the city it is today.   

Tel Aviv's growing population

The history of Israel and Europe has greatly influenced the character of the city, and has also played a major role in the rapid growth of Tel Aviv.   The history of Israel is linked, in this respect, with the atrocities of the 20th century, and Tel Aviv is no exception.  

Its population grew extensively, from only 3,600 in 1914 to 120,000 in 1936. The main reason for the growth in population was the great mass of Jewish immigrants fleeing from Europe between the years 1924-1939, before the beginning of WWII.  Those who left Europe found refuge in Israel's major city, which was not much more than a neighborhood back then.  But today the city has established itself as a Metropolis, with its very own style and characteristic way of life.